With liability rates set to increase what can you do to reduce the cost ?

Like any good employer you want to provide a safe and secure working environment for your team. But it makes sense financially too. Fewer accidents mean fewer claims. Fewer claims mean lower premiums. So here are our top ten tips for managing your Employers Liability (EL) exposure…

1. Make sure your insurers know how many staff and volunteers you have working under your direction, what they do and the relevant wageroll for each category.

2. Be open and honest with your insurer about your staff work activities – and more generally, about any other risks.

3. Review all your staff related risks and mitigate as much as possible. Produce appropriate training and staff communications to cover all aspects of your work.

4. Remember that volunteers under your control are effectively staff for the purposes of your duty of care and legal liability. They need to be recruited, trained & supervised as if they were paid.

5. “Sell” yourself to your broker by demonstrating that you have a rugged recruitment and induction process; that you train your team appropriately; and have in place procedures covering relevant issues (e.g. lone working, lifting and Health & Safety as a whole)

6. Be clear with groups that support your company about their status. If they are not working under your direction and control, they will not be covered by your EL insurance. The same will apply to their public liability risks; they will not be covered and may need separate insurance.

7. Make sure senior staff, managers and supervisors buy into your safety culture; get them to “walk the walk” by actively seeking out & addressing issues.

8. Make safety and safe working a team responsibility. Encourage and even reward staff for pointing out hazards and encourage a culture of responsibility taking.

9. Issue regular Health and Safety bulletins directly to staff, making them brief but frequent to increase awareness.

10. Work with a specialist broker, like us; we know the issues and have the right policy wordings available to give you the best cover.